DEL MAR: County fair employs 1,800 workers

MANNY LOPEZ For the North County Times

The Del Mar Fair Grounds employs about 1,800 people during the four weeks of the San Diego County Fair, and for many North County residents, the seasonal opportunity provides a much-needed economic and social payoff.

Hiring for the fair begins in January, but the bulk of the positions are filled in April for jobs that run through June and July. Positions include ambassadors, ticket-takers, sellers, exhibit workers, traffic and parking workers as well as a variety of others.

This is the 11th year working at the fair for guest services supervisor Gail Tompkins of Solana Beach and her husband, she said Thursday.

Her children all grew up with seasonal jobs at the fair, Tomkins said, and attending the fair has been a family tradition for 30 years.

Guest Services is the first department to open and the last one to close, Tompkins said. She enjoys the work, she added, which involves handling a large variety of issues on a daily basis.

"I love the fair," she said. "Everything about it is fun and exciting, with all of the music, lights and good food."

Chris Ruge is the operator of an amusement ride called the Slingshot, which he said can fire two adults side-by-side about 150 feet straight into the air at 100 mph.

"I load 'em, pack 'em and ship 'em off," he said

Aside from pressing the button, Ruge said, his job is to make riders feel comfortable and at ease, a feat he said he accomplishes by telling corny jokes.

"It's quite an adrenaline rush," Ruge said of the ride. "It's like sitting in a rocket ship."

Natasha Bogdanoff said that normally she would be attending the fair as a guest, but this year the recent high school graduate from Mira Mesa is working to earn money for shopping and, if there's any left over, perhaps college.

The 18-year-old, who plans to attend nursing school in the fall, said that the fair experience is very different this year because she's not spending the entire day walking with friends, eating and enjoying the rides.

"But that doesn't bother me," Bogdanoff said. "I'm earning money and gaining valuable experience, which will serve me well in the long run."

Jaime Mendoza, livestock coordinator at the fair for the past 11 years, said he is particularly happy to be back this year because the number of animals has increased from about 500 in 2010 to well over 650 this year.

The livestock display is an important part of the fair's tradition, he said, and just about all visitors to the annual event stop by the livestock barn to see the animals.

"Every year we get new people and everyone pitches in and works together," Mendoza said. "In no time we become a team and when the last event is done and all of the animals are gone, we've developed long-lasting relationships."

More information on the San Diego County Fair can be found at www.sdfair.com.